Jelly Fish Research Paper

Recent concerns that jellyfish populations are increasing have stimulated speculation about possible causes including climate change, eutrophication, over fishing and invasions (Jennifer E, 2007). The moon jellyfish has become a bit of a nuisance to many different fishing companies, they diminish the size of commercially important fish larvae by either direct predation or due to the result of food competition (Dawson and Jacobs 2001). Reports of human problems with jellyfish have increased and have captured public attention. Jellyfish and jelly-like sea creatures come in an immensely diverse range of forms. If a jellyfish is cut in two, the pieces of the jellyfish can regenerate and create two new organisms. Similarly, if a jellyfish is injured,

Their presence in the ocean is usually seasonal, responding to the availability of prey, which is seasonal in most places, increasing with temperature and sunshine in the spring and summer (Dawson and Jacobs 2001). Jellyfish size ranges from 10cm to 3m and weighs around 200kg, their size already increase their habitat in the ocean which has become a problem for fishing companies. Secondly, jellyfish feed on anything they come across, it all depends on the structure of the jellyfish. This impact causes a reduction in the ocean species, because it is many jellyfish that needs to feed on something. Thirdly, human problems resulting from jellyfish blooms, Stings from pelagic cnidarians because discomfort and sometimes medical emergencies for swimmers and waders primarily in warm marine waters worldwide (reviewed in Fenner & Williamson 1996, Burnett 2001). When pelagic cnidarians occur in great abundance, stinging can occur at epidemic levels. As human populations and recreational activities continue to increase along the coasts, stinging is projected to become an increasing problem (Macrokanis et al. 2004). Fourthly, Cultural eutrophication, Eutrophication is considered to be one of the major global pollution problems (e.g. Howarth 2002). Eutrophication is associated with increased nutrients, altered nutrient ratios and increased turbidity where humans develop coastal areas. Most simply, increased nutrients often lead to greater biomass at all trophic levels (Daskalov, 2002). Eutrophication also causes complex changes in the food web (Greve P, 1977), thus, nutrient enrichment may change the lower trophic structure towards a micro plankton based food web. This size-reduction of the lower trophic levels is thought to be detrimental to fish, most of which are visual predators that prefer large zooplankton, thereby benefiting jellyfish, which are not visual and consume small as well as large